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Patrick McSweeney
I was born on April 22, 1992 in Palmerston North, New Zealand. Palmerston North is a town of 70,000 a couple hours north of Wellington, the capital. Both my parents were scientists at the local university. My dad’s Great Grandfather brought his family to New Zealand from Ireland. My mum’s side is a combination of Maori, native New Zealanders, and English. My family has played a major role in my development, especially my dad’s side. Whenever I am with them I see my personality come out in each of them. In 2004 My parents, my little brother and I moved to America. This strengthened the bond with this immediate family but has proved a challenge for my relationship with extended family. Relationship with Dad’s Side Originating from Ireland, my dad’s family moved to New Zealand in the early 20th century. They carried a lot of their Irish traditions with them including Irish Catholicism, enjoyment of drinking, and a high value toward family. My Grandad spent most of his life working for the Department of Agriculture advising farmers. He had four kids, my dad being the youngest. After my Grandad retired, him and his brother bought a small farm to see if they could actually do everything they had been telling farmers. It is located in Akaroa, a small side nestled in a harbor. The farm is on top of a hill and has a great view of the surrounding area. This farm is responsible for so many great memories with my family. We would all get together over Christmas and work on the farm, share stories, play cricket and fish for eels. These experiences is why I think I can see so much of myself in this side of the family. The family is full of people who I look up to with doctors, lawyers, scientists and teachers they all try to impact the world in one way or the other. This side of the family has also had some major help along the way as for most of it, financial struggles have not existed. I look up to everyone on this side of the family as it is packed with great role models. Relationship with Mum’s Side My relationship with my Mum’s side of the family is significantly more complicated. I have always felt the two families are very different and I have lacked the involvement with this side that I have had with my dad’s. This lack of involvement means that apart from my mum I don’t have many role models on this side. My Mum’s dad died when I was young and I have been told that I would have really looked up to his positivity and passion for life. Unfortunately, most of my memories of my grandma have been tainted by her mental health problems, something that has played a major role in her life, especially recently. I still have a few great memories of her and respect the role she has played in my life. It wasn’t until my last trip to New Zealand in 2012 that I started finding out more about this part of my family. My mum had been dealing a lot with her mum and her Alzheimer’s. My mum made her a memory book to help her mum keep a connection to her past. Getting to dig through old memories with my mum was a very impactful moment in my life. We visited the pub her family owned in a small town and talked to the current owner who was the one that bought it from my family. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing the stories about my family and how that pub played such a strong role in the growth of that town. The two sides of my family have played different roles in my life. I wish I had spent more time with my mum’s side as I think I would have learned some very valuable lessons, just as I have from my dad’s side. My Immediate Family My immediate family consists of my mum Carolyn, dad David, and 11 year-old brother Oliver. I think we are a very close family and each of its members have played a huge role on my life. My mum has always shown me the power of hard work and is the reason we are in America. Most people ask if my dad got a job in America, but I take great pride in informing them that it is my mum who got the job. My Dad and I have so much in common and he always teaches me the power of learning. I love going home and talking to him about something I have learned or current events. Our conversation always expands my knowledge making it a priceless time. My little brother forced me to grow up. I don’t know if my parents planned for this but a ten-year gap meant I was a ready-made babysitter. This meant I had to become more responsible and thoughtful something that became key to my maturity. I have been lucky with my family as they have helped create many opportunities for me. I do not think I would be here if it weren’t for their constant support. The have given me resources, questioned my actions, and constantly challenged me to be the best person I can. I hope they don’t mind me being like them as they are who I look up to the most. The Impact of America Moving to America in 2004 is one of the defining points of my life. I was lucky there was not a language barrier to overcome, but there were still certain elements of the culture that made it difficult. I was forced to leave all my friends behind meaning I had to rely a lot more on my parents for support. This move is one of the big reasons I have got so close to them. It has taught me the true value of family as they remain as a connection to my old culture. I know I can turn to them and talk about New Zealand politics, rugby, cricket, locations in Lord of the Rings and many other topics that make me homesick. While the move has made me closer to my immediate family it has caused a separation between me and my extended family. Although we are still close I feel like a visitor when I am with them now. They are hosting me on a trip back and not just hanging out with me as we were used to. This disconnect is scary as I don’t want to become the foreign cousin, however that seems to be where it is heading. My hybrid culture is different to theirs and that creates a difference that didn’t exist before. I am thankful that I moved as I think it put me in a vulnerable position that I would not have encountered if I had stayed in New Zealand. It created challenges that I have overcome, growing in the process. I just wish it had not impacted myconnection to my extended family as it has. Summary My family has played a large aspect on my life. In New Zealand we call our extended unit our “whanau,” a Maori word. The whanau plays a vital role in New Zealand culture and my family was no different. I have gained the most from my family through discussion. We have always been a family that has enjoyed talking and most importantly listening to each other. Through this I have learned a lot of valuable lessons about my family and the world around me. This open discussion has played a huge role in my family being open minded to other cultures. I am sure my family will continue to play a large role in my life and I hope I can instill the importance of family in my children. Category:Students